Dart Shafts - Everything You Need To Know

The most basic and most affordable shafts on the market are nylon and polycarbonate dart shafts, making them well suited for the beginner player.

Both nylon and polycarbonate dart shafts are plastic based materials so they're extremely lightweight and rarely bend or flex. Because they're cheap to manufacture, they also offer the most variety of colors and lengths of all dart shafts.

Foldable dart flights work with any nylon or polycarbonate dart shafts that has the standard 4 prong holder. If you're more into molded flights, the Robson molded flights and L-style molded flights can be slotted right onto the top of the dart shaft for an easy application and tightly secured fit.

If you're looking for an awesome upgrade from your plastic shafts, aluminum dart shafts are your next best friend. Not only are they a cost effective upgrade, they're far more durable than plastic shafts and offer a variety of different lengths to suit throw styles of all player skill levels.

Like nylon and polycarbonate, aluminum dart shafts can also be used with foldable dart flights and Robson molded flights.

A stronger alternative to both aluminum and plastic is carbon fiber dart shafts. Every carbon fiber shaft is composed of strong filaments of carbon, making it a more sturdy shaft option. Because carbon fiber is more expensive to manufacture, these dart shafts also tend to be one of the most expensive options on the market.

Carbon composite is another carbon material alternative if you're looking to try your hand at carbon's sturdiness. This shaft material is a much cheaper carbon dart shaft option as it is not 100% pure carbon fiber. Instead, it's a mix of carbon and resin or epoxy.

Finally, we have the mighty titanium dart shafts as a material option. Another metal makeup significantly stronger than aluminum and often considered the strongest dart shaft material on the market. Titanium dart shafts are the top choice of A-Z Darts employees since we find the durability unbeatable.

Duralumin dart shafts are a cheaper metal material option that rivals titanium in durability. As a metal combination of carbon fiber and copper, duralumin shafts are stronger than carbon fiber, aluminum and nylon but in turn are also more expensive. However, they're still a great alternative if you want something as strong as titanium without breaking the bank.

Short dart shafts tend to move the center of gravity of the dart toward the front of the barrel. If you're a front gripper, shorter shafts might be ideal for you. Holding a dart fashioned with a short shaft in the front ensures that the dart is more balanced in your hand than if you were to hold it in the middle or rear. 

Short shafts also provide more lift and stability when you throw your dart since there's less material dragging in the air or weighing the dart down.

Typically, short shaft lengths are around 34mm to 37mm, but some brands do make even shorter dart shafts in extra short and even micro for those that like it super tiny.

Inbetween dart shafts give great balance to the flight of the dart and generally ensure that it hits the board at an optimum angle. A complimentary balance between control and stability is what makes the inbetween shaft, also called intermediate, so popular among players of all levels.

A step above short shaft lengths, inbetween dart shafts are usually around 39mm to 41mm. 

Lastly, Medium shafts are the most forgiving length. Slightly longer than the inbetween length, these are ideal for a player who wants assistance towards achieving maximum stability of their darts. Medium shafts are also a popular length choice for new players as they work well to balance most barrel types and throw styles.

Longer shafts are best suited for bigger hands and flatter throws where the angle of the dart lays almost at eye level in the board. 

Slightly longer than inbetween shafts, medium shafts average around 42mm to 49mm in length. Any longer, around 50mm to 65mm, is considered a long dart shaft.

There are also some variations to the standard shaft shape. If you're looking for more grip in the shaft, try a dimpled shape. Like dimpled dart flights, dimpled dart shafts have rounded divets to provide more texture and grip. 

Some standard dart shafts also have extra features that provide more aesthetic or grip to the shaft, like the Harrows Carbon ST. They feature plastic gems that protrude from the sides of the shaft. Other shafts have small carvings and cuts along the side.

Slim dart shafts are a thinner variation of standard dart shafts and come in all of the regular lengths.

If you grip your dart into the shaft, slim dart shafts might be an ideal shape for you to try. The shape allows for more flexibility and when it hits the ground, the shaft has more spring and bounce to protect it from breaking compared to thicker, standard shafts. 

Some slim shafts start off thicker at the ends and then taper into a slimmer shape toward the middle. These types of slim shafts are called hybrid dart shafts, combining the flexibility of slim shafts with the classic feel of straight shafts.

The scallop-like tapered middle section of hybrid dart shafts creates a nice place for your fingers to rest if you grip into the shaft. 

One piece molded flight and shaft systems combine dart flights and dart shafts into one convenient accessory. Many one piece systems have grooves carved into the shaft part of the stem which provide a completely new and unique grip feel. If you grip the rear of the barrel and into the shaft, you may find the grooves awkward to hold. Your fingertips won't perfectly rest into the grooves.

The main purpose of these carved channels is to prevent bounceouts and robin hooding by allowing the incoming dart to slide through the grooves instead of getting caught on the shaft. 

For the Target K-Flex, the grooves in the shaft also help the system twist around incoming darts. 

Want to learn more about the Target K-Flex System? 

Get a much better understanding of the pros and cons of a one-piece system featuring this specific brand's technology.

Watch an instructive video and read our in-depth product review here: Target K Flex Review

Or simply click the button below:

The most popular accessory to add weight to your dart shafts is the Add A Gram. Add A Grams also shift the center of gravity toward the rear of the dart due to the weight added. 

Available in multiple weight options over 1g, you can screw an Add A Gram in between the rear of your dart barrel and your dart shaft for a heavier feel.

For a lighter addition to the weight of your darts, the Back Balance Pro Rings from L-Style add 0.4g of tungsten to the rear of your darts. If you experience a wobbly throw or you're a steel tip player whose darts land in the board angled too high up, these little rings are the perfect solution for you.

The only drawback to the Back Balance Pro Rings is that they only work with the L-style Pro dart flights, which can only be used with nylon and polycarbonate dart shafts. Meanwhile, Add A Grams can be used with any type of dart shaft with 2ba or 1/4" threading.

Spinning dart shafts are a special type of shaft designed to rotate in place if your flight gets hit by another incoming dart. Not only does this help prevent bounce outs, but it can also prolong the integrity of your dart flights.

Like other dart shafts, spinning shafts can be made from any material but are most commonly polycarbonate, aluminum or carbon fiber. This also means you can get spinning dart shafts in a variety of fun colors!

The shape and length of spinning dart shafts also vary like regular shafts. There are standard straight, slim and even hybrid spinning shafts. All length options are available with these shafts as well. The possibilities are truly endless for your dart shafts!

8 Flight offers a unique spinning dart shaft system that uses proprietary molded dart flights. The dart flights, made of medium-soft plastic, screw directly onto the back of the 8 Flight dart shafts for a tight fit that won't easily pop off. 

These shafts also come in a non-spinning "locked" option if you prefer to keep it classic.

Prevent your dart flights from popping out of your dart shafts with the help of dart shaft rings. Not to be confused with dart o rings! Dart shaft rings slot right onto the prongs of the shaft and squeeze them together to ensure a tighter hold on your dart flights. This also protects your dart flights from getting split or torn by an incoming dart.

Like dart shafts, dart shaft rings are also available in different materials. Titanium and aluminum are the most common, but L-Style also makes plastic versions with a variety of colors to choose from. 

Dart stem crowns work just like dart shaft rings and feature a special crown shape that allows you to fit a flight all the way into the shaft prongs. Regular dart shaft rings create a gap between the flight and the base of the shaft prongs, so stem crowns are a great alternative to consider if you want the flights to fully fit. 

Another foolproof way of keeping your dart flights secured onto your dart shafts is by punching a hole into the flight. A dart ring is then placed into the hole which slides right over the shaft as you insert the flight. Similar to normally applying a dart ring, this method creates a tight hold on both the dart shaft and the dart flight. 

This also keeps the dart flight wings in the perfect 90 degree angle to optimize your flight pattern. Not all dart shafts can be fitted with punched flights, like shafts with metal flight holders, so make sure your favorite shafts can support punched flights before trying this out.

You'll need a special tool that punches the perfect rectangle shape for the rings to fit snugly. See the hole punch tool purchase option below:

L Style Pro Rings, also called Champagne Rings, are little caps that fit right over the rear of your dart shafts. They are designed to protect your flight and shaft from robin hooding and secure the flight tightly onto the shaft. 

Pro Rings come in a Premium Metal version and a standard plastic material. Like dart shafts, the different material affects the durability of the Pro Rings where metal will last longer and provide the best shaft protection. 

Keep in mind that you can only use Pro Rings with Pro Flights, L Style's proprietary molded flight system, and nylon or polycarbonate dart shafts. Read more about Pro Flights on our Dart Flights blog! 

To apply the Pro Rings to your Pro Flight, push it gently into the hole — no need to bend or flatten the molded flight out of shape as you may damage the flight beyond repair.

Another variation of the Pro Rings is the L Style Shell Lock Rings. These are also applied to the back of your dart shafts and imitate the four prongs of a standard dart shaft. 

Unlike the Pro Rings, the Shell Lock Rings can only be used with foldable flights — molded flights will not fit these caps. Foldable flights must also be hole punched with the special L Style Lock Flight Punch tool, creating a slot for the Shell Lock Rings to slide right into like regular dart rings. 

Your dart shafts must also be nylon or polycarbonate as other dart shaft materials will not work with these rings.

Dart o rings help dart shafts stay secure in the dart barrel without overtightening the shaft. This also helps prevent the shaft from breaking and snapping at the thread which would leave the shaft stuck in your barrel. 

For metal dart shafts, o rings are necessary to keep your metal shafts tightly secured in the dart barrel. Without the o rings, the shaft threading won't fit as snugly in the barrel threading.

For more information on dart o rings, how to install them on your dart shafts and other uses, read our in-depth blog on everything you need to know about dart o rings:

Specialized dart shafts with multiple parts have replacement dart shaft tops that can be purchased separately as needed. Spinning shafts, titanium shafts, and hybrid dart shafts (made with two different materials on each half of the shaft) typically have two parts that can screw into each other to create the whole shaft. 

Before buying a replaceable top, make sure the replacement matches the exact dart shafts that you own. These parts are not interchangeable nor do they mix and match! 

Have you ever gotten your dart shafts stuck in your barrel after breaking them? Shaft extractor tools are a quick solution to removing broken dart shafts from your barrel. These tools are much safer and more comfortable to use when removing the broken threading, especially compared to other unconventional methods.

If you frequently travel to play darts, many shaft extractor tools are easy to carry on your keychain. Be prepared for a broken dart shaft on the go, anywhere you decide to play. 

Got a broken dart shaft stuck in your barrel and need a guide on how to remove it? Check out our blog with darts tips on how to remove a broken dart shaft from your barrel using shaft extractor tools and other methods.

We also included plenty of videos in this blog so you have visuals to follow along with!